So-called flat knit fabrics such as warp knit and weft knit fabics are well known. Such fabrics are formed by the interlocking of loops of yarn so as to form a coordinated structure. In single needle bar knitting single and multiple yarn systems may be utilized. By way of example only, such fabrics may be formed by techniques such Raschel and tricot knitting as will be well known to those of skill in the art. Such fabrics may also be formed by other techniques such as tufting and stitch bonding as will also be well known to those of skill in the art. Of course, other formation techniques may also be utilized as well.
If desired, a degree of variability may be introduced across the fabric face by the introduction of defined patterns of the interlocking loops. However, such patterns which are introduced as the result of adjustment of machine settings provide a substantially regular pattern of loops and voids across the surface of the fabric. These regular patterns may be discernible upon visual inspection of the fabric thus failing to provide the appearance of random occurrence.
In the past, knit fabrics have been formed from fully drawn multi-filament yarns wherein the yarns are drawn and heatset under tension so as to extend and orient the individual filaments. In such a process each of filaments in the yarn is subjected to a substantially uniform heating and extension treatment such that the yarn will thereafter act in a uniform manner upon post fabric formation treatments such as heat setting, hot dyeing and the like. That is, since the yarn has been uniformly treated it does not exhibit variable response characteristics when subjected to heating or other treatment conditions.
It is also known to form knit fabrics having a cut pile from yarns which are subjected to a substantially uniform heat treatment during drawing but which are not fully drawn. Such a process is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,470 to Goineau the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The resultant fabric has a generally striated appearance upon dyeing.